Retraction unit and method for metal products

Abstract

The unit (10) for drawing in the metal products comprises one or more motorized rollers (12, 13) configured to support and move one or more elongated metal products (P1, P2) along a feed axis (X), and two or more counter rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) configured to idle around their respective rotation axes (F1, F2; F3, F4) and arranged on the opposite side of the one or more motorized rollers (12, 13). The present invention also relates to a method for drawing in the elongated metal products (P1, P2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drawing-in unit for supplying a long metal product, which is a type that can be used in the manufacture of reinforcing materials for the construction industry, to a machine for processing the long metal product. In particular, the drawing-in unit according to the present invention is preferably applied to a machine that processes two or more bars, round materials, or metal wires simultaneously at a time, and performs a substantially uniform, coordinated, and simultaneous supply.

Background Art

[0002] For example, but not limited to, there are known processing machines to which long metal products such as roll wires, round materials, or pre-cut bars are supplied in order to create reinforcing brackets for the construction industry.

[0003] These machines may be bending / forming machines, also called stirrup manufacturing machines, and in order to optimize productivity, two or more metal products are generally supplied at a time. It is also known that a drawing-in unit is arranged upstream of the processing machine in order to supply the metal product to be processed.

[0004] The drawing-in units known in the prior art include a plurality of rollers located on opposite sides of each other with respect to the feed axis of the metal product in order to draw in the metal product. Usually, one or more of these rollers are electric, and the other rollers are arranged at positions facing the metal product and may function as opposing rollers.

[0005] In some cases, a pair of opposing rollers that face each other and are not constrained by each other may be arranged facing one electric roller, and each of the opposing rollers applies a specific pressure to the metal product in the direction of the electric roller.

[0006] This contrasting operation is intended to obtain a uniform drawing-in operation by ensuring sufficient friction between the metal product and the electric roller. One drawback of known retraction units is that, in some cases, the compression action of the opposing rollers fails, causing one or more metal products being processed to slip, thus resulting in waste or other inefficiencies. For example, when two metal products are being retracted, it is possible that one of the metal products may interfere with both opposing rollers facing one of the motorized rollers, thus limiting the friction necessary for coordinated retraction of the two metal products.

[0007] It should be noted that this problem occurs particularly frequently in metal products, as they are generally obtained at the end of a hot rolling cycle and have multiple ribs on their exterior. Because metal products are manufactured by rolling with ribs, the cross-section of the metal product is not a perfect circle, but rather an elliptical cross-section with a major axis corresponding to the ribs and a minor axis offset by approximately 90° from the major axis and reduced by a few millimeters. Therefore, the positioning of the metal product during pulling can cause this interference. For example, a first metal product positioned with its major axis oriented perpendicular to the feed axis and the rotation axis of the rollers may interfere with both opposing rollers, limiting the pressure applied to a second metal product, for example, oriented approximately 90° offset from the first metal product.

[0008] Another drawback is that known retraction units do not always ensure precise positioning of metal products relative to opposing rollers and / or motorized rollers. In particular, in some cases, the metal product may be positioned close to the side edges of the opposing rollers and / or motorized rollers. This can cause significant bending of the opposing rollers and / or motorized rollers, potentially promoting slippage of the metal product. This problem is especially frequent with rollers that have a flat lateral profile.

[0009] For this type of roller, the optimal alignment is to position the metal product at the center of the lateral contour of the opposing roller. The aforementioned drawbacks limit the dimensional range of metal products that can be retracted by the retraction unit, and in practice, reduce its flexibility of use.

[0010] Patent Document 1 describes a retraction device for a metal rod, comprising a group of first rollers and a group of second rollers, where each first roller individually faces a corresponding second roller. The group of first rollers and the group of second rollers are movable in different directions to adjust the passage formed between the first and second rollers facing each other.

[0011] Patent document 2 describes a device for supplying wire for an arc welding machine. Therefore, it is necessary to complete a retraction unit and corresponding retraction method for metal products that can overcome one or more of the shortcomings of the conventional technology.

[0012] In particular, one objective of the present invention is to provide a retraction unit that can limit the sliding of the metal product being retracted. Another object of the present invention is to provide a retraction unit that can ensure appropriate pressure on a metal product even when the diameter of the metal product changes.

[0013] Another objective is to provide a retraction unit that enables precise positioning of metal products relative to electric rollers and opposing rollers. The applicant has devised, tested, and implemented the present invention in order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to obtain these and other objectives and advantages. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0014] [Patent Document 1] European Patent Application Publication No. 0065736 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 3447730 [Overview of the Initiative]

[0015] The features of this invention are described in the independent claims. Dependent claims describe other features of the invention or variations of the principal inventive concept. In accordance with the above objectives, a unit for pulling in metal products is described that overcomes the limitations of the latest technology and resolves existing problems.

[0016] The pull-in unit comprises one or more electric rollers configured to move one or more metal products along a feed axis, and two or more opposing rollers configured to idle around their respective axes of rotation and positioned on the opposite side of the one or more electric rollers.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, one or more electric rollers and opposing rollers are selectively movable relative to each other along a lateral movement axis substantially parallel to the rotation axis of the opposing roller. According to another aspect of the present invention, two or more opposing rollers are substantially opposite each other and substantially coaxial.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, two or more opposing rollers face the same electric roller. In a preferred embodiment, two or more opposing rollers are selectively movable relative to one or more motorized rollers along a lateral movement axis.

[0019] Advantageously, this solution allows for lateral adjustment of the reciprocating position between the opposing roller and one or more motorized rollers. This adjustment may be performed, for example, depending on the nominal diameter of the metal product being processed, to achieve precise alignment between the metal product and each opposing roller in all situations. This prevents the same metal product from interfering with both opposing rollers that form a pair facing one or more motorized rollers.

[0020] Furthermore, the opposing roller may be selectively movable toward one or more electric rollers along a movement axis perpendicular to the feed axis and the lateral movement axis. The present invention also relates to a method of drawing a metal product, comprising a drawing process of moving, i.e., drawing, one or more elongated metal products along a feed shaft. The above drawing process is performed by an electric roller having two or more opposing rollers that rotate idling about their respective rotation axes and are located on the opposite side of the electric roller.

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, the method comprises one or more steps of adjusting the reciprocating position between the opposing rollers and the one or more electric rollers along a lateral movement axis parallel to the rotation axis of the opposing rollers.

[0022] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the above drawing process, two or more metal products are drawn simultaneously, and as described above, the first opposing roller of the two or more opposing rollers acts only on the first metal product, and the second opposing roller of the two or more opposing rollers acts only on a second metal product different from the first metal product.

[0023] In some embodiments of the method, the adjustment step moves the opposing rollers along the lateral movement axis relative to the one or more electric rollers. In a preferred embodiment, the step of adjusting the reciprocating position between the opposing rollers and the one or more electric rollers along the axis of lateral movement is performed according to the nominal diameter of the metal product to be processed.

[0024] These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments described as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] Front view of a unit for drawing a metal product according to an embodiment described herein. [Figure 2] Side view of the drawing unit of FIG. 1 in different usage situations. [Figure 3] Side view of the drawing unit of FIG. 1 in different usage situations. [Figure 4] Side view of the pull-in unit in Figure 1 under different usage conditions. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used whenever possible to identify identical common elements within the drawings. It is understood that elements and features of one embodiment may be combined or incorporated into other embodiments as appropriate without further explanation.

[0027] Next, possible embodiments of the present invention will be referenced in detail, one or more of which are shown in the accompanying drawings as non-limiting examples. The expressions and terms used herein are also for the purpose of providing non-limiting examples.

[0028] Referring to Figure 1, 10 shows a pull-in unit configured to supply long metal products P1, P2, such as rods, rounds, or rolled wires having a diameter that can reach several tens of millimeters, to a machine (not shown) for processing. In particular, the pull-in unit 10 may be located upstream of the processing machine and downstream of a supply unit (not shown) configured to supply the metal products P1, P2 to the pull-in unit 10 at the inlet.

[0029] In some cases, the processing machine may be a bracket bending machine, which is preferentially used to manufacture reinforcing brackets for the construction industry. The pull-in unit 10 may include a base 11 to which one or more electric rollers 12, 13 can be operably associated. The electric rollers 12, 13 rotate around their respective axes M1, M2 by a known type of drive member.

[0030] During use, metal products P1 and P2 that are to be pulled in may be positioned and supported on the electric rollers 12 and 13 along the feed axis X which is tangential to the electric rollers 12 and 13. In this particular case, the pull-in unit 10 may include two electric rollers 12, 13 that are adjacent and continuous along the feed axis X and have parallel rotation axes M1, M2.

[0031] The two electric rollers 12 and 13 are configured to rotate in corresponding directions during use. The pull-in unit 10 may also be equipped with one or more opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 on the opposite side of the electric rollers 12, 13 with respect to the feed axis X.

[0032] One or more opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 are configured to rotate during use without corresponding to the electric rollers 12, 13. The opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 may be hinged to the retraction unit 10 in an idle state so that they can rotate freely around their respective rotation axes F1, F2, F3, and F4.

[0033] The opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 are configured to apply pressure to the metal products P1 and P2 in the direction of the electric rollers 12 and 13 in order to ensure that the appropriate frictional force required to pull in the metal products P1 and P2 is ensured between the electric rollers 12 and 13 and the metal products P1 and P2.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment, both the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 and the motorized rollers 12, 13 have a lateral profile for contact with the metal products P1, P2, and the profile is substantially smooth. In some cases, the lateral profile of the motorized rollers 12, 13 may have a gripping zone 14 configured to increase friction with the metal products P1, P2 (see Figures 2 to 4).

[0035] The opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 may be associated with a first support portion 21 of the retraction unit 10, which is movable in the direction of the electric rollers 12 and 13 along a first movement axis A that is perpendicular to the rotation axes F1, F2, F3, and F4 of the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18.

[0036] The first support portion 21 may be connected by a sliding slider to a second support portion 22 of a retractable unit 10 which is operably associated with the base 11, and may be movable along the slider by means of a known type of moving mechanism.

[0037] In some embodiments, one or more pairs 19, 20 of opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 that are substantially facing each other, not constrained by each other, and independent of each other may be positioned opposite one or more motorized rollers 12, 13.

[0038] In particular, pairs 19, 20 of opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 may be positioned on the opposite side of each electric roller 12, 13 with respect to the feed axis X. Each pair 19, 20 of opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 includes two opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 that are substantially opposite to each other, substantially coaxial, unconstrained to each other, and independent of each other. In particular, two opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 of the same pair 19, 20 are arranged in a direction substantially parallel to their rotation axes F1, F2 and F3, F4. Furthermore, being substantially opposite to each other and substantially coaxial means that a clearance of up to a few centimeters is permitted between the rotation axes F1, F2 and F3, F4 of the opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 of the same pair 19, 20.

[0039] In this particular case, the pull-in unit 10 comprises two pairs 19, 20 of opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18, with each pair facing the respective electric rollers 12, 13. This configuration is particularly suitable when the downstream processing machine needs to operate on two metal products P1, P2 at a time.

[0040] Two pairs 19, 20 of opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 are arranged adjacent to each other in a direction parallel to the feed axis X. According to some embodiments, referring to Figure 1, two corresponding opposing rollers 15, 17 and 16, 18 of different pairs 19, 20 may be hinged to a single opposing support 23, 24 operably associated with a first support 21. In this particular case, the retraction unit 10 may comprise two opposing support 23, 24 to which two opposing rollers 15, 17 and 16, 18 are hinged, each continuously adjacent along the feed axis X. Furthermore, the two opposing support 23, 24 may be positioned substantially opposite each other so as to form a pair 19, 20 of opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 between them.

[0041] In some embodiments, the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 may be selectively movable relative to the first support 21 in a direction substantially parallel to the first movement axis A. Each of the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 may be movable independently.

[0042] In other embodiments, the opposing support portions 23 and 24 may be selectively movable relative to the first support portion 21 in a direction substantially parallel to the first movement axis A. For example, the opposing rollers 15, 16 and 17, 18 forming pairs 19 and 20, respectively, may be movable independently of each other in a direction substantially parallel to the first movement axis A.

[0043] This configuration allows for a first movement in which the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 are brought closer to each other by moving the first support portion 21, and a second adjustment movement in which each opposing roller 15, 16, 17, and 18 or each opposing support portion 23, and 24 is moved independently relative to the first support portion 21. This configuration is particularly advantageous when pulling in two metal products P1 and P2. In practice, each opposing roller 15, 16, 17, and 18 of pairs 19 and 20 may be used exclusively for each metal product P1 and P2.

[0044] According to one aspect of the present invention, the electric rollers 12, 13 and the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 are selectively movable relative to each other along a lateral movement axis T that is substantially parallel to the rotation axes F1, F2, F3, F4 of the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18.

[0045] Advantageously, this makes it possible to adjust the relative positions between the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 and the electric rollers 12, 13 along the lateral movement axis T. In particular, in this specific case, the second support 22, to which the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 are operably associated, may be selectively movable relative to the base 11 along the lateral movement axis T. More specifically, the second support 22 may be coupled to the base 11 by one or more sliding sliders 27 and may be selectively movable by known types of moving means 25. For example, the second support 22 may include a screw 28 connected to a motor, and a female threaded element 29 configured to house the screw 28 may be integrally connected to the base 11. Thus, the movement of the second support 22 along the slider 27 clearly corresponds to the rotation of the screw 28. The direction of rotation coincides with the direction of movement. In some cases, the degree of movement may depend on the nominal diameters Φ1, Φ2, and Φ3 of the metal products P1 and P2.

[0046] Advantageously, this configuration allows for adjustment of the relative positions between the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 and the electric rollers 12, 13 along the lateral movement axis T, ensuring optimal alignment between the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18, the metal products P1, P2, and the electric rollers 12, 13 at all times. This prevents interference between the metal products P1, P2 and the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 of pair 19, 20.

[0047] For example, referring to Figure 2, metal products P1 and P2 have a first nominal diameter Φ lThe opposing rollers 15 and 16 of pair 19 are positioned along the lateral movement axis T to prevent one of the two metal products P1 and P2 from interfering with both opposing rollers 15 and 16. In this way, accurate alignment and retraction of the metal products P1 and P2 are ensured. Next, referring to Figure 3, the types of metal products P1 and P2 to be processed may differ, for example, due to a change in format, and may have a second diameter Φ2 that is larger than the first diameter Φ1. In this case, as shown in the figure, the retraction unit 10 of the present invention may move the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 along the lateral movement axis T to restore the accurate alignment of the metal products P1 and P2. In another application, referring to Figure 4, the retraction unit 10 may be supplied with a metal product P1 having a third diameter Φ3 that is larger than the second diameter Φ2. In this case, the opposing rollers 15 and 16 may be moved again along the lateral movement axis T to align the opposing rollers 15 with the metal product P1. Therefore, the advantages of the pull-in unit 10 of the present invention are clear, as it allows for lateral alignment of the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 according to the diameters of the metal products P1 and P2 being pulled in. This allows for very flexible use of the pull-in unit 10.

[0048] In some embodiments, the retraction unit 10 may include a transducer 26 configured to monitor movement, i.e., the distance of the second support 22 relative to the base 11. In practice, the transducer 26 may be configured to generate an electrical signal proportional to the distance between the second support 22 and the base 11. This solution allows for good adjustment of the reciprocating positions of the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 relative to the electric rollers 12 and 13. In other words, the function of the moving mechanism 25 becomes adjustable according to the signal generated by the transducer 26.

[0049] The present invention also relates to a method for pulling in metal products P1 and P2. The method comprises a pulling step of pulling in long metal products P1 and P2 along a feed axis X using electric rollers 12 and 13, wherein opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 are located on the opposite side of the feed axis X from the electric rollers 12 and 13. The opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 are configured to idle around their respective rotation axes F1, F2, F3, and F4.

[0050] In such a pulling process, it is preferable that two or more metal products P1 and P2 are pulled in simultaneously, and that the first opposing roller 15 of the first pair 19 of opposing rollers 15 and 16 acts only on the first metal product P1, and the second opposing roller 16 of the first pair 19 acts only on the second metal product P2. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first opposing roller 17 of the second pair 20 of opposing rollers 17 and 18 acts only on the first metal product P1, and the second opposing roller 18 of the second pair 20 acts only on the second metal product P2.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the method also comprises one or more adjustment steps for adjusting the reciprocating position between the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 and the electric rollers 12, 13 along a lateral movement axis T that is substantially parallel to the rotation axes F1, F2, F3, F4 of the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18.

[0052] According to some embodiments, the adjustment step involves moving the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, and 18 along the lateral movement axis T relative to the electric rollers 12 and 13. In a preferred embodiment, the above adjustment of the reciprocating position between the electric rollers 12, 13 and the opposing rollers 15, 16, 17, 18 is performed each time according to the respective nominal diameters of the metal products P1, P2, as described above as an example.

[0053] Advantageously, this makes it possible to ensure sufficient pressure on the metal products P1 and P2 in all situations, thereby eliminating the slippage problems typical of conventional types of pull-in units.

[0054] It is apparent that modifications and / or additions to the above-described retraction unit 10 and method may be made to the parts or processes without departing from the field and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

[0055] In the following claims, the reference symbols in parentheses are for readability purposes only. Therefore, the reference symbols should not be considered as limiting elements relating to the scope of protection claimed in any particular claim.

Claims

1. A retraction unit (10) for moving one or more metal products (P1, P2) along a feed axis (X), wherein the retraction unit (10) comprises two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18), the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are configured to rotate about their respective rotation axes (F1, F2; F3, F4), the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are positioned opposite the same electric roller (12, 13) and on the opposite side of the feed axis (X) from the same electric roller (12, 13), and the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are movable relative to the same electric roller (12, 13) along a lateral movement axis (T) parallel to the rotation axes (F1, F2; F3, F4).

2. The retraction unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) face each other and are coaxial.

3. The retraction unit (10) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a base (11) to which the same electric rollers (12, 13) are operably associated, and a second support (22) to which the opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are operably associated, wherein the second support (22) is movable relative to the base (11) along the lateral movement axis (T).

4. The retraction unit (10) according to claim 3, wherein the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are associated with a first support (21) that is movable relative to the second support (22) along a first movement axis (A) perpendicular to the feed axis (X) in the direction of the same electric rollers (12, 13).

5. The retraction unit (10) according to claim 4, wherein the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are movable independently of each other with respect to the first support (21) in a direction parallel to the first moving axis (A).

6. The two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are two opposing rollers (15, 16) forming a first pair (19), The aforementioned pull-in unit (10) is Two opposing rollers (17, 18) forming a second pair (20) adjacent to the opposing rollers (15, 16) of the first pair (19) in a direction parallel to the feed axis (X), wherein the two opposing rollers (17, 18) forming the second pair (20) are arranged opposite to an electric roller (13) other than the same electric roller (12) and on the opposite side of the feed axis (X) from the other electric roller (13), The same electric roller (12) and the other electric roller (13) are operably associated with a base (11), The opposing rollers (15, 16, 17, 18) of the first pair (19) and the second pair (20) are movably associated with a second support (22), Furthermore, The opposing rollers (17, 18) of the second pair (20) are configured to rotate around their respective rotation axes (F3, F4) which are parallel to the lateral movement axis (T), and are movable along the lateral movement axis (T) relative to the other electric roller (13). The second support portion (22) is movable relative to the base (11) along the lateral movement axis (T), The opposing rollers (15, 16, 17, 18) of the first pair (19) and the second pair (20) are associated with a first support (21) that is movable with respect to the second support (22) along a first movement axis (A) perpendicular to the feed axis (X) in the direction of the same electric roller (12) and the other electric roller (13). The retraction unit (10) according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding opposing rollers (15, 17; 16, 18) of different pairs (19, 20) are rotated relative to their respective opposing support parts (23, 24) associated with the first support part (21).

7. The pull-in unit (10) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, further comprising a transducer (26) configured to monitor the distance of the second support portion (22) relative to the base (11).

8. A method for pulling in one or more metal products, the method comprising a pulling step of moving long metal products (P1, P2) along a feed axis (X) by one or more electric rollers (12, 13), the pulling step being in which two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) are located on the opposite side of the feed axis (X) from the electric rollers (12, 13), rotating around their respective rotation axes (F1, F2; F3, F4) and positioned opposite the same electric rollers (12, 13); and one or more adjustment steps of adjusting the positions of the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) relative to the same electric rollers (12, 13) along a lateral movement axis (T) parallel to the rotation axes (F1, F2; F3, F4).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) face each other and are coaxial.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein in the pulling-in step, two or more metal products (P1, P2) are pulled in simultaneously, and the first opposing rollers (15; 17) of the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) act only on the first metal product (P1), and the second opposing rollers (16; 18) of the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) act only on the second metal product (P2) which is different from the first metal product (P1).

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the adjustment step involves moving the two or more opposing rollers (15, 16; 17, 18) along the lateral movement axis (T) relative to the one or more electric rollers (12, 13).

12. The adjustment step involves adjusting the nominal diameter (Φ) of the metal products (P1, P2). １ , Φ ２ , Φ ３ The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, performed in accordance with ).

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